What part is this?

[zcacogp]

Right. The prize for identifying The Obscure Part (and virtual pint - to be redeemed into a real pint should we ever meet!) goes to Rich Salmons. It was indeed from the alternator tensioner bar, and has now been replaced from whence it came. Thank you Rich, and well done.

An honourable mention goes to TTM, for his similarly-correct identification and great description of why it is necessary. Thanks TTM, and well done to you too.

The car is now re-assembled as it should have been, which is good. The bad news is that the oil leak (the solving of which precipitated this dismantling and seal-changing) appears NOT to be solved, and I am hence trying to identify where it is coming from. Current candidates include the oil pressure sender, the oil cooler pipes and the rocker cover gasket. All of which are royally p155ing me off at the moment ...

Thanks again for your input chaps. Another triumphant win for the PCGB forum! []


Oli.

 

[TTM]

As you may have noticed by now, replacing the oil filter always results to spilling more or less oil in this area.

Are you sure you haven't forgotten replacing the slim transparent seal on the front on the lower balance shaft?

 

[zcacogp]

TTM,

Nope - the slim plastic seal on the shaft was replaced. (Not quite sure what it did, but a new one was put there.)

There is new oil on parts that were carefully cleaned when I did the seal-replacement job, so the leak is still present. Currently main suspects are the oil pressure sender, possibly the oil cooler pipes and maybe even the rocker cover gasket (although that is very very high up the engine).


Oli.

 

[TTM]

If I remember correctly the oil pressure sender points backwards on the S2/968 oil thermostat housing, so I'd be surprised if an oil leak there would spread oil further up front.

Can you post a picture of the oily area?

 

[zcacogp]

TTM,

It does point backwards, and is about half-way up the engine. There is a reasonable amount of oil below it, but also traces above, and the traces above go all the way up to the rocker gasket. Simple, non? Snag is that I am not so sure; the rocker gasket was changed about 18 months ago, so isn't old and perished. I took the rocker cover off yesterday and ensured that it was seated correctly (it was), and cleaned everything up, so will monitor the situation carefully.

The thing is that the trace of oil from the rocker cover is fairly small (narrow), but gets bigger below the oil pressure sender. This could mean that the rocker cover is a red herring and there are two leaks, or could mean that as the oil trickles down it blows around and appears to become a bigger leak ...

I should have taken a photo yesterday, but I was genuinely unsure whether the camera would produce a photo worth seeing given the view available (when jacked up on the street everything is very close to you, and I'm not sure the depth of focus would have shown anything meaningful.)


Oli.

 

[TTM]

I'm not sure - have you also replaced seal #21?

 

[zcacogp]

Yes, I have. The 'Front of Engine Seal Kit' from Promax was very comprehensive.

(Good spot tho' - I was hopeful it was this that was causing the problems, or possibly the shaft seal on that shaft, but it still leaks!)


oli.